Resuscitators are used to supply breathing gas to a patient who may not be breathing spontaneously. Portable resuscitators may take the form of a resilient bag that is squeezed manually to supply a volume of air to the patient, the bag refilling with air when it is released so that a new volume of air can be supplied. Alternatively, the resuscitator is a mechanical device including a timing valve and various other controls and is connected to an oxygen cylinder, which both provides the breathing gas, or a part of this, and which may also provide the power to drive the components of the resuscitator. Examples of such resuscitators are described in GB 2174760, GB 2174609, EP 343818, EP 342883, EP 343824, GB 2282542, EP 691137, GB 2284159 and GB 2270629. These resuscitators are arranged to supply gas in a cyclic manner to the patient at a rate compatible with normal breathing. Conveniently, the controls of a resuscitator are provided adjacent the face mask to which the resuscitator is connected, as described in GB 2284159 and GB 2270629, so that the resuscitator can be controlled and the mask can be supported by the same hand.
Resuscitators are often used by emergency services and may need to be used where the patient is in an inaccessible position, such as trapped in vehicle wreckage. A paramedic may need to hold and operate the resuscitator at arms length in an inconvenient position, which can be difficult with conventional resuscitators.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative resuscitator.